Notre Dame Defeats Purdue, 35-0
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame defeated Purdue for the 11th straight time with a shutout before a sellout crowd of 59,075. It didn't take the Irish long to score against the Boilermakers as Allen Rossum returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Autry Denson's 12-yard run capped a 92-yard, 13-play drive to give the Irish a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Marc Edwards' 1-yard plunge and another score by Denson, a 10-yard catch with just 41 seconds remaining, gave Notre Dame a 28-0 advantage at intermission. Denson's third touchdown, a 2-yard run with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter, provided all of the scoring. Statistically, the Irish out-yarded Purdue 459-203 and led in time of possession (34:28 to 25:32). The Boilermakers didn't commit a single turnover (Notre Dame had three), but managed only 44 yards on the ground and committed 10 penalties for 87 yards. Purdue's best scoring opportunity was a missed 35-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter by Chris Arnce. The Boilers' Derrick Brown led all defenders with a career-high 13 tackles (eight solo stops).
GAME NOTES: Senior Billy Dicken made his first start at quarterback since the eighth game in 1994 and completed 14-of-31 passes for 159 yards and no interceptions...Notre Dame captured the Shillelagh Trophy and now lead the trophy series 26-14...Edwin Watson, making the switch back to tailback from fullback, rushed for 50 yards on 15 carries...wide receiver Willie Tillman and strong tackle Nick Sweeney made their first career starts...defensive tackle Jon Krick recorded two tackles, giving him 100 in his career.
NOTRE DAME 35, PURDUE 0
Game 2, Sept. 14, 1996(Attendance -- 59,075)
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Purdue 0 0 0 0 -- 0
ND 14 14 7 0 -- 35
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
ND: Rossum 99-yard kickoff return (Sanson kick), 14:47
ND: Denson 12-yard run (Sanson kick), 4:17
Second Quarter
ND: Edwards 1-yard run (Sanson kick), 2:02
ND: Denson 10-yard pass from Powlus (Sanson kick), :02
Third Quarter
ND: Denson 2-yard run (Sanson kick), 3:00
TEAM STATISTICS PU ND
First Downs 13 28
Net Yards Rushing 26-44 43-215
Net Yards Passing 159 244
Passes (Att.-Comp.-Int.) 31-14-0 34-20-1
Total Net Yards 57-203 77-459
Possession Time 25:32 34:28
Punts 10-39.5 3-44.0
Penalties 10-87 1-13
Third Down Conversions 2-13 9-14
Total Turnovers 0 3
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing--Purdue: Watson 15-50, Matthews 3-19, Dicken 8-(-25). Notre
Dame: Denson 15-66, Farmer 7-40, Edwards 9-37, Jackson 3-24, Mosley
2-19, Spencer 2-13, Powlus 2-9, Goodspeed 2-8, Cooper 2-(-4).
Passing--Purdue: Dicken 31-14-0 (0 TD), 159. Notre Dame: Powlus
32-19-1 (1 TD), 238; Jackson 2-1-0 (0 TD), 6.
Receiving--Purdue: Tillman 5-66, Alford 4-36, Olivadotti 3-41,
Johnson 2-16. Notre Dame: Chryplewicz 5-52, Johnson 4-75, Denson
3-61, Nelson 2-17, Carretta 1-11, Cooper 1-9, Champion 1-8, Mosley
1-6, Stephens 1-6, Spencer 1-(1).
Tackle Leaders--Purdue: Brown 13, Coleman 10, Hagains 9, Burroughs 8,
Okeafor 6. Notre Dame: Tatum 5, Edison 5.